Daily Events and Mood State Among Individuals Living With HIV: Examination of the Within-Persons Approach to Data Collection Using Daily Diary Methodology

Abstract

Studies examining the link between stressful events and coping with HIV have relied on a between-persons approach focusing on how individuals differ on some characteristics. Although the between-subjects approach has yielded important information, our goal was to use a within-persons approach, making repeated measurements of the same persons over many days, to examine the impact of changing circumstances on the mood states of those with HIV. A second goal was to determine if asking participants to report their daily experiences via a computerized interactive voice system is a viable way to collect such information. This study collected a variety of trait measures for seven HIV patients and subsequently used a computerized telephone system to collect information regarding daily events and mood states over 21 consecutive days. Several daily measures, including self-esteem, optimism, and positive social interactions were significantly related to daily mood states. Trait measures, with the exception of symptom distress, were ineffective in predicting variations in daily mood states. It was concluded that a computerized telephone system is a viable means of collecting information from HIV patients on a daily basis and within-persons methodology may provide useful information about daily events affecting mood states beyond that generated by a between-persons approach.

Brief report on ecological momentary assessment: everyday states predict HIV prevention behaviors

“…Statistical power was adequate to detect moderate effects based on over 2300 daily questionnaires completed by participants, but high between-participant variability in a small sample might have contributed to weaker than expected effects. The number of participants is comparable to the small N in some prior EMA studies of PLWH [ 27 ], although at least two larger-scale studies have been conducted on individual risk factors: alcohol [ 13 ] and mood [ 12 ]. Statistical models with multiple simultaneous predictors were not used in the current analysis because of the high risk of sample-dependent results and a potential lack of generalizability when data-driven decision rules are used with a small sample.…”

Prospective State and Trait Predictors of Daily Medication Adherence Behavior in HIV

“…State- and trait-level measures of a construct are related, but only moderately correlated (Ptacek, Pierce, & Thompson, 2006), and they show different predictive relationships to behavior (Mustanski, 2007; Barta et al, 2008; Janda, Markowski, Derlega, Nezlek, & McCain, 2006). This difference likely occurs because as experience transitions into memory, people remember or re-interpret state-level events based on their conscious thoughts or beliefs (Schwartz, 2012).…”

Patterns of Change in Symptom Clusters with HIV Disease Progression

“…Because of these potential consequences, many PLWH carefully manage information about their HIV and attempt to limit disclosure of their HIV serostatus; maintaining secrecy about HIV infection may then create additional sources of distress. In part because of these stressors, depression is common in HIV, and may exacerbate existing physical symptoms, result in treatment nonadherence, or be expressed as somatic complaints [9, 10]. …”